The data storage system of the invention is particularly useful in the microcomputer controlled type of telephone answering machine, so that essential data which is normally stored in the volatile memory of the microcomputer may also be recorded on magnetic tape. In this way, the information may be preserved in the event of power failure, or the like, so as to obviate any need for a battery back-up for the machine.
The data storage system of the invention permits essential information such as data designating the positions of the message and announcement tapes, the number of messges recorded on the message tape, data designating the various settings of the machine, and other data, to be preserved in the event of power failure, and which may be used to reset the machine to its previous operational modes when power is restored, and which may also be displayed to the user, either on the machine itself, or on the remote unit used to control the machine from a remote telephone.
The modulation of the data on the beep tone simplifies the data recording and reproduction processes and equipment since it obviates any need for multiple tracks on the magnetic tapes and multiple recording and reproducing heads for the tapes. The data storage system of the invention is for use in telephone answering machines which include a sensing circuit that responds to a ring signal on the telephone line to activate the machine. When the machine is so activated, an announcement recorded on an announcement tape (T-1) is transmitted over the telephone line to the calling party during a time interval (T.sub.1). A message recording tape (T-2) is then activated in order that the calling party may record his message during a subsequent time interval (T.sub.2).